KND: Insubordination
by pikablob
Summary: Jealousy can be a powerful force; but when it drives Fanny Fulbright to desertion during a high-risk mission to restore Sector Z, she finds herself dangerously close to losing both those who she cares about and her beloved position in the KND for good. (362x86. Rated T just in case)
1. Chapter 1 - Better on Paper

Boots pounded on the treadplate floors, sending chills of fear up the researchers' spines. Someone was approaching, and it was nothing good. Heads lowered as they tried to keep their eyes to themselves. But, of course, the newcomer was determined to have herself heard.

"Alright!" a thick Irish voice bawled. "Progress report!"

"We-We've had a few setbacks sir," the nearest unlucky soul turned up from his workstation. "The commission process is not easy to reverse on the scale Numbuh 362 needs."

"Why not?!" Fanny Fulbright, Numbuh 86, yelled.

"Well for starters- eek!" the scientist didn't have time to finish, as she grabbed him by the collar.

"Get the point!" she demanded, not in the mood for a lot of technobabble.

"It's the p-power sir," he struggled to explain, "According to the reports we need eleventy-billion units, but we don't even really know how much that is."

"'ty' on the end means add a zero, dunnit?!" she shot back. "So ya just take eleven, then a zero, then a billion. Ain't hard."

The scientist looked around; his colleagues shrugged or nodded slowly. He finally managed to break free of Fanny's grip and stumbled back over to his computer. He typed in the number slowly, to the point where steam might as well have been emanating from 86's ears.

"Th-That might work…" he trailed off. "But-"

"But what?!" Fulbright demanded.

"We can't generate that much power here, e-even with the upgrades," he stammered. "It just isn't feasible."

"Well then make it!" she barked. "We need results 'ere, not setbacks." She turned to leave. "Dismissed!"

She strode out of the moonbase 2x4 R&D labs, heading straight for the command deck. No doubt Rachel McKenzie, Supreme Leader Numbuh 362, would be up there overseeing operations. The news wasn't good, but it was still the first breakthrough in weeks. Maybe they could soon finally take this project off the backburner.

Fanny made quick work of the walk, arriving up top in minutes. As expected Rachel was there, in the middle of giving orders to a sector from Japan. They quickly finished up, scattering at the sight of an irate Global Tactical Officer striding across the treadplate decking.

"Anything?" Rachel turned to her friend, worry and hope both etched into her young features.

"Nah," Fanny shrugged, "They hadn't even worked out eleventy-billion in numbers 'till I showed up. Apparently these new upgrades are useless, since they can't generate that much 'ere."

"Oh," the light faded from Rachel's eyes for a moment. She placed a hand on her chin, pondering the next move. The moonbase had the highest power output of any treehouse on the KND network, and even that wasn't enough. That couldn't be it, could it? There had to be some other way.

"Y'alright Rachel?" Fanny asked, far softer than usual. She was pretty much the only one who still used 362's real name, even if it was only rarely. She didn't let Harvey use it, and as much as she wished otherwise Nigel Uno still called her simply 'sir' or 'Supreme Leader'.

"Yeah," she let out a long sigh, "I'm fine, I just need a moment to think." There had to be another way, a place where they could draw eleventy-billion units of power. How did their enemies even generate that much… wait, of course! They'd just have to go to the source.

"Numbuh 86," she snapped, suddenly all business once again, "Tell 2x4 that I want a prototype capable of withstanding over eleventy-billion units ready by next week with adaptors for all major power connections available. We're going in within a fortnight."

"Aye sir," Fanny's guard went up in tandem, and she snapped a quick salute before spinning in her heel and striding away across the deck. Although Rachel couldn't see it, her heart swelled with new determination.

* * *

The prototype was far from what Fanny had been expecting. She'd been ready for some kind of massive death ray based on the power requirements. Instead 2x4 had created the bizarre offspring of an old-timey camera and a bicycle.

The body was long and mostly wooden, with a short brass barrel at the end. A chain drive ran from a point halfway up the weapon down to the stock, which was a rebuilt bicycle frame using the seat as a shoulder rest. Six large lightbulbs were mounted either side of the sights, tilted to forty-five degrees. Power cables dragged behind it, ending in a variety of plugs.

What on earth could such a clunky weapon be used for, especially if powering it required the KND to infiltrate an enemy facility and literally plug it in? It was times like these she wished Rachel would tell her more, given how reluctant the scientists were to talk to her.

"So," she rounded on the unfortunate boy standing next to her, "Does it work?"

"In theory," the kid said quickly, "It functions correctly at regular power levels, and is capable of functioning at up to two-hundred-billion units of power."

"Two 'undred?" Fanny raised an eyebrow. "Dunnit just need to take eleventy?"

"And we're taking 'eleventy' as one-hundred-and-ten, per your orders," he explained, "If that's the regular output then we need to be prepared for massive surges."

"Fine," she said bluntly. "362 'ad better be happy with this."

She spun on her heel, heading away from R&D and towards the command deck once more. With the prototype ready maybe Rachel's apparently crazy plan would work. Fanny just wished she knew what it was.

"Is it ready?" 362 greeted her as she entered the room.

"Aye, it is." 86 saluted. "They've finally stopped being useless."

"It was a tall order," Rachel checked her. "Anyway; I want you to contact Sector V and tell them that they're to come aboard on the next night they're all available. This is of the utmost importance now."

"Aye sir," Fanny saluted again. She strode away with all the respect she was supposed to show to the Supreme Leader, but as soon as McKenzie was out of earshot she let out a snarl of rage and stormed off.

Sector V again? Really? It was always them, regardless of what needed to be done. The thought of Nigel at this point made her want to punch something. She worked her rear end off to get where she was, while Numbuh 1 could just waltz in there and take whatever he wanted. The number of times he should've been decommissioned alone made her blood boil.

The real cause for her hatred was more personal though. It was simple, and far too obvious; Rachel McKenzie had a crush on Nigel Uno. That simple fact rubbed Fanny the wrong way for so many reasons. Like how he always got better treatment, and more important missions. Or how he could get away with literally anything. Or how she herself-

Fulbright slammed the brakes on her train of thought. She wasn't going down that rabbit hole again. She was already fit to burst with rage, and whenever she thought about _that_ her anger tended to go downhill fast.

Still, for all of her hatred, she would contact Sector V, have Numbuhs 1 through 5 come to the moonbase. But only because it was what Rachel wanted.

* * *

The S.C.A.M.P.E.R drifted lazily into the hangar, thrusters easing down under the watchful gaze of multiple turrets. The modified camper van landed with a soft thud on the decking, doors sliding open with a quiet hiss. From within the agents of Sector V stepped out, led by Nigel Uno.

Rachel was there to greet them, accompanied by Fanny. 362 cracked a slight smile at the arrival of a long-time close friend, but it quickly dissolved back into her regular seriousness. There was a sense of gravity in the air as the sector approached.

"You wanted us here, sir?" Nigel raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses.

"Yes, Numbuh 1," she replied, "There's something I need to ask of your sector. Follow me."

She led the group quickly up to the command deck, ignoring the personnel muttering behind her. They'd all find out the nature of their mission soon enough. The journey was brief, and soon the seven kids were standing around a hologram projecting table.

The device flickered to life, displaying a green wireframe of a massive, ornate five-storey residence. The model rotated slowly, and the display zoomed in until the rooms up to the second floor could be seen in detail.

"As you may have guessed," Rachel began, "This is the Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane, as it was rebuilt after the Grandfather incident. All intelligence suggests that the floor plan has not significantly changed."

"We're goin' in there?!" Wally Beetles exclaimed.

"Numbuh 4!" Nigel quickly hushed him.

"Yes," 362 continued unfazed, "To test a new weapon against the Delightful Children From Down The Lane."

"No offence sir," Hoagie Gilligan interrupted, "But wouldn't that be easier during the day?"

"No," she cut him off, "Because in order to power this weapon you'll need to jack it into the power grid here."

She pointed to a highlighted room in the building, marked 'delightfulisation chamber'. The members of Sector V glanced at each other nervously.

"Numbuh 5 doesn't like this," Abigail Lincoln said darkly.

"That's crazy!" Wally responded.

"Calm down," Nigel interjected, "We don't even know what this weapon does yet."

"It doesn't matter what it does," Rachel spoke once more, "You wouldn't understand; even I don't really. All you need to know is that we absolutely must have over eleventy-billion units of power, or this whole operation will be for naught."

"Eleventy-billion?" Nigel was suddenly agape. "Against the Delightful Children? Is this-?"

"Yes," she butted in, "It is. Numbuh 86, I want you to retrieve the prototype."

"Aye," Fanny saluted quickly, hurrying off towards 2x4's area yet again.

She arrived in good time, barging into the R&D labs with her hatred brimming. A secret arrangement between Nigel and Rachel, where only they knew the true nature of the mission: was she being serious! That was it; 86 wasn't going to take it anymore. She'd take the prototype herself, go it alone, and return having destroyed the Delighful Children.

Then Rachel would see; she was just as good as stupid Nigel Uno. When she returned to moonbase a hero her transgressions to get there would be forgotten; it had always worked for Numbuh 1. And once she returned, well…

No, she wasn't going to think about that now, or ever if she could help it. She had to prevent her thoughts from wandering to _that_ little subject of she wanted to complete this mission. She shook the thought from her mind, forcing herself to concentrate.

The researchers looked up for a second as she entered, then tried their hardest to ignore her.

"Right!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, seizing their attention. "Where's that prototype!"

"Over here sir," one of them said quickly, carrying over the weapon. She reached out as he slung it over one of her shoulders and released. The weapon dropped, the weight nearly pulling her over. "Y'alright?" he asked.

"I am fine!" she insisted through gritted teeth, despite the weight pulling her down. She staggered away, leaving the scientists to their work. Of course Sector V had a whole team, and could carry the great device between two people. She had to do it all alone, so she was better than them.

The walk to the hangars was agonisingly slow, and every time she heard footsteps on the treadplate Fanny found herself checking over her shoulder. Nobody followed her though, and soon she was standing in the entranceway of the moonbase's primary hangar.

The place was deserted, both of personnel and of aircraft, except for the S.C.A.M.P.E.R used by V to arrive and a few engineers milling about. She made a beeline for the dropship, slipping inside and finally dropping the weapon.

She hit the door button and shifted into the pilot's seat, ready to depart. She could fly; she'd done it before. This was going to be a breeze. She hit the engine start, watching as one-by-one the dials and lights flickered to life. The thrusters roared; she was ready to head out.

* * *

The research staff paused, looking up from their stations. One by one their faces contorted in confusion; Supreme Leader Numbuh 362 and the entire of Sector V were both entering the 2x4 labs.

"Did Numbuh 86 come through here?" Rachel asked, causing more confusion.

"Yes, uh, sir," one of the scientists replied. "We, uh, we gave her the prototype. What's up?"

"She's disappeared," she replied gravely, "And if that's true then she has the module."


	2. Chapter 2 - Where Kids Fear To Tread

_Nine years before_

"C'mon you two," the blonde girl encouraged, dragging both of her siblings by the hand towards the bus. From his seat aboard Bruce rolled his eyes; neither of the pair could be older than three and he had a long journey ahead. The boy at the door peered at the arrivals over the top of his sunglasses.

"Are these the younger sister and brother you mentioned?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the eldest girl, no older than seven, said quickly.

"Alright then," he said seriously, "Please take a seat."

The girl obliged, stumbling up the steps with her family in tow. The doors hissed shut, and the vehicle moved off. She sat down opposite Bruce, her siblings taking up the window seat next to her.

He huffed in irritation; nobody had said they were bringing toddlers along. Still, they were remarkably quiet as the bus drove the first leg of their journey. He turned to the kid sitting next to him, a dark-skinned boy by the name of Lenny.

"Any idea what's up with them?" he whispered.

"Didn't ya hear?" Lenny whispered back. "They're orphans or runaways or something from over in Wisconsin; the S.L. personally sent a message allowing them to come, since they don't have a place or whatever." Bruce felt a pang of sympathy; he didn't exactly have anyone waiting for him at home.

The journey was quick, and soon the bus pulled up at their first stop: a vast, soaring treehouse. What appeared to be a large ship and several aircraft jutted out at odd angles, and multiple flags hung low in the breeze, all labelled with the same three letters: 'KND'.

The driver stood up, revealing himself as just an unusually tall twelve-year-old pretending to be in his late teens. The boy in the sunglasses smirked, watching as the kids' faces lit up in awe at the structure in front of them.

"Cadets," he smiled, ever the one for theatrics, "Right this way. If you need to go potty do it now; it's a long flight ahead. Despite what your parents and siblings might think, this is far from your average summer camp."

* * *

The Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane drifted into view of the grimy windshield, rising over the horizon. The multiple spires and ornate windows were dark under a moonlit sky, lacking their usual sheen. The gravel drive was devoid of any car, so hopefully Father was out.

Fanny eased back on the throttle, the S.C.A.M.P.E.R decelerating rapidly. There were no lights on the vessel, save for the glow of the engines, and so she easily flew into the gardens. The grass blew over with the force of the thrusters, radiating away from the aircraft as it slowed to hover above the earth.

Fanny lowered the vehicle until the front gear hit the grass with a clunk, resting on the damp earth. She cracked a slight smile in realising that her antics had just ruined a patch of Father's pristine lawn. She killed the engines, and the vessel dropped to the floor.

Which was a significant slope. The rear end of the camper van landed forcefully on the soil, knocking the girl from her seat. She stumbled to her feet, rubbing her forehead just below the brim of her colander helmet.

The gun was still intact, save for a few scrapes to the casing, so she hefted it back up and stumbled out into the night. Her boots squelched in the muddy grass, slick with rainwater. She stumbled up onto some sort of patio, leaving a trail of dirt footprints.

The place was probably locked up tight, and she didn't want to risk an incident by smashing any windows. She'd just have to find another way in, like a vent or air duct. She looked around quickly; there was a grate in the floor just to her left; maybe she could lift it?

She dropped her weapon once more, bending down and gripping the cast iron. It was heavy sure, but not quite too heavy for her to shift. There was a creak as she hauled it up, and a small amount of concrete dust fell from it.

She dropped the grate to one side, barely avoiding trapping her fingers. The iron hit the patio with a clatter, cracking two tiles slightly. Beneath the grate was a small room, with one wall replaced with bars: a cell of some sort. The door appeared open.

She picked up the prototype once more and eased herself into the gap, dropping quickly to the floor below. Of course, the weight falling with her dragged her off her feet on impact. She stumbled up again, and looked up at the vent above.

Now that she could see it from in here, it was pretty obviously a skylight for the prison cell. That was probably why they'd not stuck it down; no prisoners could reach it from down here, and under normal circumstances nobody would want to break into the cells. She did though, and now she had to find the delightfulization chamber.

She meandered out into the hallway, her shoulders aching under the weight of the weapon. It couldn't be that far, could it? Then she caught sight of a thickly armoured door down at the hallway's far end, beyond the cells. If they were keeping prisoners down here, then surely they would have the chamber to be used on those prisoners nearby.

Fanny managed to reach the door, and pushed it open to reveal an expansive room. In the centre numerous pipes and cables converged on a cylindrical steel chamber, with only a ring of narrow windows around the top. It was a delightfulization chamber, a device spoken about only in fearful whispers and highest-secrecy reports in the KND.

It was also her target. She huffed, lugging the heavy weapon over to the chamber. A particularly thick wire was plugged into a bulky metal box on the back of the chamber; presumably that was where the power came from. She just had to unplug that and connect it to the prototype.

She placed it on the ground, looking the device up and down. What on earth was this thing supposed to do that was so devastating to the Delightful Children?

Wait a second: she knew those components! Fanny was hardly the most tech-savvy member of the KND, but she was skilled in the maintenance of one thing in particular: the decommission module. She could take apart and put back together those things in her sleep, a skill that had helped her greatly when repairing its opposite, the recommission module.

This device appeared to be based on that, with the same green lens-brass barrel arrangement and crank handle. Maybe it even played the same little tune. But why would Numbuh 362 want her to fire a recommission module at the Delightful Children? And why did it need so much power? These things _undid_ brainwashing, so it wasn't about to make allies out of Father's children.

She connected it anyway, ignoring all the functionless additional plugs Rachel had made 2x4 put on. There, now all she had to do was get the brats in range. Except they were upstairs, probably asleep, and weren't about to come down any time soon on their own.

Sector V had the personnel to create a distraction, a lure to trick them into coming down, but Fanny didn't give a do-do about what V's solution was. She had to come up with her own, as fast as she could, and execute it before either they or Father showed up.

She tiptoed as fast as she dared back into the corridor. There was a staircase at the other end, which she quickly climbed. It came out under the house's main stairs, hidden behind a sliding wooden panel. She hurried out and up the main staircase, leaving a trail of muddy footprints in her wake.

She found them on the top floor, the entirety of which had been converted into one bedroom. Five beds sat next to each other along one wall, each one containing a different member of the Delightful Children. It was the first time Fanny had ever seen them apart, except for that one time when Lenny or whatever had pretended to defect to the KND.

All she had to do now was get them downstairs. Her footprints marred the thick carpets with grime from the dungeon and mud from the lawn; they could follow that, surely. Waking them up couldn't be too hard either; she didn't need Sector V.

Her heart thumped heavily in her chest as she reached up and knocked rather loudly on the ajar door to the room. The Delightful Children sat bolt upright in unison, almost seeing her before she pressed against the outside of the door.

"What was that?" they demanded in unison, their bizarre synchronisation making Fanny shiver. "Father, is that you?" There was silence. "That had better not be the Kids Next Door in our home," there was a forceful edge to their words, one which she didn't want to feel the force of.

She didn't wait much longer; as soon as she heard five pairs of feet hit the thick carpet she bolted down the stairs.

"You can't run away from us," they said in perfect synchronisation. "We can see your footprints."

Fanny nearly smiled; they'd bought it. She barrelled into the dungeon and onwards, not stopping until she reached the chamber once more. They followed as one, their footsteps perfectly in tune with each other.

"What are you doing in the delightfulization room?" five voices demanded.

"Oh, nothin'," Fanny gave a cocky grin, moving out from behind the chamber itself with the new recommission module in hand.

"Well if it isn't the Global Tactical Officer of the KND," they tilted their heads slightly to one side, sneers fixed on their faces, standing in the doorway. "That's a shame; we were hoping for a real challenge."

"Sorry t'disappoint ya!" she placed them in her sights. She was about to pull the trigger when she realised something.

She _knew_ the blonde girl from somewhere else. That face was burned into her psyche for some reason. But where had she seen those perfect features… of course: the photo! She wanted to facepalm, but also needed not to drop the module. She'd seen that photo in Rachel's room so many times and yet she somehow hadn't made that connection.

But if the girl was who Fanny thought she was, then the rest were… no way: that wasn't possible. It'd been four years, and the Delightful Children had surfaced… three and a half years ago. Everything fell into place; the recommission module, the delightfulisation chamber, the importance of the mission to Rachel.

"Oh," the children giggled, noticing the realisation in her, "Did someone finally figure it out?"

"Aye," Fanny gripped the trigger, "And yer due fer recommissionin'!"

She fired. Green light started to flicker through the gaps in the weapon's casing. The chain drive on the side spun up, and a rapid little music-box tune started to play. The children froze, something preventing them from running. A needle mounted next to the rear sight rose steadily across a power gauge.

It passed ninety and one hundred, rising up to eleventy-billion. This triggered something in the module, and suddenly a high-energy stream shot out from the brass barrel. It latched onto the Delightful Children, enveloping them in a glowing aura. They rose above the floor, voices telling something incomprehensible in a terrifying mix of tones.

She kept the trigger depressed as they squirmed, as if trying to fight whatever it was doing to them. The power continued to increase, the energy being pumped directly into the Delightful Children until all Fanny could see was their shadows surrounded by glow. Then a ball of pure energy expanded from the centre of the group, while the tune reached fever pitch. The last thing she saw was the needle hit fifteenty-billion units before a wave of greenish-white energy sent her flying.


	3. Chapter 3 - Darkest Hour

The sight of a deserted S.C.A.M.P.E.R on the lawn of the Delightful Mansion From Down The Lane was not exactly a comfort to the members of Sector V or Numbuh 362. Their own dropship, a S.U.R.B.U.R.B.A.N reserved for moonbase personnel, slowed to a crawl as they approached. There was no sign of Fanny anywhere.

"Numbuh 2, take us in," Rachel ordered, getting an affirmative reply and feeling the aircraft begin to descend.

"What could make Numbuh 86 go rogue like this?" Hoagie wondered out loud.

"I honestly have no idea," she admitted, "She's always been completely loyal to the KND. Something must've really tipped her over the edge."

"Emotion can be a powerful thing," Abigail observed.

"Yeah, well the only emotion she can feel is hatred for boys!" Wallabee declared.

"I ain't denying that the two things ain't related," Abby replied.

"Is she… trying to show us up?" Nigel offered, scratching his head and looking to her.

"All this speculation is getting us nowhere," Rachel interrupted, regretting encouraging this conversation. "We can talk more about motives once we've found Numbuh 86."

"Affirmative sir," Nigel nodded briskly.

The dropship touched down next to the S.C.A.M.P.E.R, landing parallel to the ridge it sat upon. The doors slid open, accompanied by the 'ding-dong' sound effect that all subway trains used. The unit drew their weapons, moving slowly out into the night.

"Any sign of eighty-six?" Nigel asked.

"Nothing I can see," Hoagie replied, just as a light drizzle began to fall.

"Then we'll have to enter the building," Rachel demanded. "Check if it's locked."

Abigail approached the front door, cautiously reaching for the handle. There was a faint click as she turned it, but the door refused to budge an inch. Hoagie smiled, pulling a little wooden box from a pocket.

"Relax guys," he smiled, "I've got this." He flicked a lever on the side of the box as he walked up towards the doorway. There was a series of faint clicks and twangs, and a pair of tiny metal rods shot out of the side of the device. He placed the device against the door so that the two prongs were seated within the lock, then stepped back.

The little box clicked and sparked a few times, before it fell silent for a few seconds. "Wait for it," he said, excitement rising in his voice. The little machine stayed motionless for a second. Then the side of the box sprung off, leaving a mess of tiny repurposed components dangling from the hole in the device.

"Aww c'mon!" Hoagie exclaimed. "I spent weeks building that!" He went to remove it, pushing against the door in the process. The door swung open slowly, revealing an empty hallway marred with muddy footprints. "Hey! It worked!"

"Four, Five," Rachel demanded. "Breach and clear."

The pair stepped through the door, drawing a pair of MUSKETs and sweeping the corridor. Noting moved. Then Kuki, ignorant of procedure, tried to skip straight through the doorway. Wally grabbed her sweater and yanked her back.

"Hey!" she pouted. "What was that for?!"

"We ain't done clearing yet," he countered, "You could set off a trap or something. You'll have to wait until-"

"Looks clear," Abby declared, sheathing her weapon and striding forwards. "You guys can move up now."

"Good work Numbuh 5," Nigel looked accusingly at Wally and Kuki, but said nothing. The unit moved quickly into the hall, where muddy footprints lead to an opening under the stairs. It seemed the obvious place to start. "Abby, take point." he ordered, getting a nod of approval from the Supreme Leader.

"You got it," Five nodded, redrawing her pistol and moving cautiously up to the doorway. She peered inside, gesturing to the others to follow, and set off slowly down into the dungeon.

A long hallway extended below, flanked by cells. At the end lay a doorway, inside which a familiar silhouette could be seen standing: the Delightful Children From Down The Lane. And behind them was Fanny, carrying the stolen prototype.

Before anyone could react she fired, enveloping the Delightful Children in an aura of glowing energy. The brightness grew, to the point where Sector V had to shield their eyes. Energy began to build at the centre of the group, only to explode outwards in a wave that sent the children and Fanny flying and forced the sector back against the wall.

When the lights faded everything was a mess. The Delightful Children were scattered away from the doorway, no longer dressed in their regular, immaculate attire. Instead they were clad in the kind of gear normally expected of elite KND operatives, all dark green and brown and red. One by one they stumbled to their feet, rubbing bruises sustained in the blast.

"I knew it!" Fanny declared, oblivious to the presence of the KND operatives in the staircase. "You guys are Sector Z! Rachel's gonna love this."

"You worked that out a second before you recommissioned us," the blonde girl, Ashley, observed, "But thank you, on behalf of all of us."

"What's the situation?!" the shortest boy, by the name of Bruce, demanded.

"Oh, no situation," Fanny shrugged, "Numbuh 362 just wanted ya back."

"Does she not realise our state is permanent!" he snapped. "You can't undo it; we were hit with eleventy-billion times the norm for the delightfulisation process!"

"An' I jus' hit ya with fifteenty," she grinned. "If that don't undo it I dunno what will."

"We're… back, forever?" the armoured boy, Lenny asked, intertwining fingers with the pigtailed girl next to him in a way that nearly snapped Fanny back to her regular anger.

"Uh, yeah," she said as if it were obvious. Lenny and his girlfriend, by the name of Constance, smiled warmly. Bruce let out a cry of 'yeah!' and punched the air, while relief settled on Ashley's face and that of the last child, who went by David. "Now we've jus' gotta getcha back to moonbase."

"That will not be necessary, Numbuh 86," Rachel announced, striding down into the hallway with Sector V in tow. Fanny took a step back; the Supreme Leader looked pretty angry. Before she could do anything however, somebody else intervened.

"Little sis?" Ashley's face lit up, and she bolted over to Rachel's side. "Or should I say: Supreme Leader Numbuh 362."

"You… know about that?" Rachel was puzzled.

"We do have, uh, some of our memories from our time as _them_ ," David chipped in, "But whatever you did this time attacked the delightfulisation so much that it destroyed some of _their_ memories. I think anyway; don't quote me on that one."

"You two are sisters?" Wally suddenly exclaimed, noticing what was going on.

"Yup," Ashley said proudly, "Eldest of the McKenzies by three years, or at least I used to be."

"But you're the same age?!" he protested.

"None of us have aged a day in the past three years," Bruce revealed. "Except for that time when we reverted to fight Grandfather."

"Doesn't that mean some of you are old enough for decommissioning?" Kuki asked innocently. Rachel shook her head, shooting Fanny a glare that told her she was _not_ going to be allowed to decommission _anyone_ for quite some time.

"Hey Rachel," Ashely was suddenly serious, "Did the reports ever come in?"

"No," Rachel shook her head sadly, "Never. You-know-who never improved either."

There was a moment of puzzled silence, but nobody thought it right to inquire into their business. Sector Z already knew what they were talking about, and all chose to remain in dead silence. The silence didn't last long however.

"Numbuh 86," Rachel was suddenly nothing but business once more, "You stole a valuable 2x4 prototype, hijacked a KND vehicle, and jeopardised a mission of great importance both to me and the organisation; why?"

Fanny paused for a second; Rachel was angry at her? For what: saving her sister _and_ the best sector in KND without any assistance? For doing what Nigel 'I'm perfect' Uno was constantly praised for? For-

"I asked you to explain yourself!" Rachel waved a hand furiously in front of Fanny's face.

"Explain myself?!" Fanny roared. "So when he," -she pointed at Numbuh 1- "Breaks the rules it's 'oh, thank you Nigel' or 'oh, great job Nigel', but when I do it all I get is 'explain yerself'?! I see how it is; nothing I do matters, 'cause ya've only got eyes for him!"

"Don't drag Nigel into this!" Rachel retaliated. "Is that what this is about then: petty jealousy?! You went out of your way to disobey my direct orders and barged into an enemy stronghold alone all because you wanted to outdo Sector V?! You only have your job because when you don't let your stupid, irrational prejudices get in the way you're usually pretty good at sticking to the plan."

"And look where that got me!" Fanny lashed out. "Nothing I do gets recognition, no matter how hard I try! I've worked my rear off up in Global Command and I don't even get so much as a thank ya. I don't care 'bout yer excuses; it just ain't fair!"

Rachel took a moment to compose herself, not wanting to suffer the damage to her reputation another outburst would cause.

"That's enough," she said firmly, "You're coming back to moonbase, right now, to face repercussions. You're lucky; I should be lining you up for decommissioning right now, but instead I intend to have you stripped of all rank an-"

"Don't bother," Fanny sneered as tears began to form, ripping the helmet from her head and throwing it across the room, letting her frizzed red hair hang free. "I'm done sucking up to yer rear end fer no reward! I am outta here!"

She stormed up the stairs, ignoring the muttering of the operatives behind her. None of them dared to try and stop her; another fight was the last thing on their minds. She didn't even look back until she'd reached the doorway of the whole mansion. She glanced once over her shoulder at the entrance to the cellar, then ran as fast as her legs would carry her into the night, her pent-up emotions pouring forth as a flood of tears.

"Well that could've gone better," Wallabee observed, only to be immediately rounded on by the assembled operatives. "I was only saying."

"Did Numbuh 86 jus' quit the KND?" Abigail asked.

"I don't think she meant it," Ashley reassured her, "She was probably just upset."

"She's still a rogue operative, at least for now," Rachel sighed, "We'll have to track her down."

"Allow us, sir," Nigel offered, his voice full of confidence.

"No," 362 said, more harshly than she intended. "Look, right now she really hates your sector, stupid as that is. It'll be much easier getting her to come quietly if I and Sector Z go, so I want your sector to take the S.C.A.M.P.E.R up to moonbase while Z and I go after her. Got that Numbuh 0.1?"

"Yes sir," Bruce nodded in confirmation. "Sector Z, on me."

"I understand," there was more than a little disappointment in Nigel's voice, "C'mon guys."

* * *

Fanny didn't stop once after she'd left that gaping doorway behind, powering on until her body screamed for rest and the mansion was long forgotten. Her head was full of a million thoughts; did that just really happen? She'd just lost everything she cared about, her rank, her codenumbuh, her allies, Rachel…

It was all gone. Part of her just wanted to curl up into a little ball and cry, but the rest of her demanded she put as much distance between them and her. By now the rain had gotten worse, and her sweater clung to her body, heavy with rainfall. She'd ended up in some kind of nearby forest, possibly part of a park, where the trees leered from both sides.

The driving rain and near-midnight darkness worked in tandem with the tears running down her face, obscuring much of her vision. She narrowly dodged two trees, surrendering to her aching limbs and slowing to a crawl. She took one unsteady step, hands on her knees, then another, then one more.

Her foot missed the flat ground, landing in the slick mud at the top of a verge. Before she could react one leg was out from under her, and she was sliding sideways down the soggy earth. She reached out, trying to grab onto something, but all her fingers gripped was more soil.

The back of her head collided with something, sending waves of pain through her skull. She'd stopped, but darkness closed in around the edges of her vision. She tried to get up, but she didn't have the strength. She could only lie back and let the darkness consume her consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4 - Luck Of The Irish

The S.U.B.U.R.B.A.N touched down with a final flare of its thrusters, rustling the surrounding trees. Rachel was first out, grimacing as the rain battered her. Ashley was next, and then the rest of Sector Z followed her out into the night.

It had only been a few moments since a flash of orange-red had darted through their searchlight, headed for the forest. Now the sector was looking for Fanny's footprints or similar, trying to pick up a trail. They had to find her before anyone else realised that she was without backup.

"Over here!" Lenny called out, standing with Constance over to one side with a flashlight in hand. Within the circle of the beam were depressions in the soggy earth, footprints left by Numbuh 86. They led away into the trees.

"We need to go in after her," Rachel said firmly. "0.4, 0.5, you two are on point."

"You've got it," Lenny said, taking Constance by the hand and moving into the forest. Rachel and Ashley came next, followed by David and Bruce bringing up the rear.

Rachel let out a long sigh as they trudged into the woods, squelching through ankle-deep mud. She _had_ been favouring Nigel, despite all the good he had done; Fanny did deserve more credit than she was given. The way she'd exploded though: there had to be more to this than simple jealousy over prestige.

The tracks continued into the darkness, seeming to stretch on forever. 86 had to have stopped eventually, right? She couldn't still be running, lost and alone, amid the trees.

The thought sent a chill down Rachel's spine; Fanny could be in mortal danger right now, all because of her not noticing how upset she really was. She kept her head down and continued to walk, not wanting to seem weak in front of the newly-reinstated Sector.

"It's not your fault," she felt the hand of her still-very-slightly-older sister resting comfortingly on her shoulder, "And don't worry; we'll find her."

The footsteps ran on into the undergrowth, finally coming to a halt at the top of a steep, muddy verge. Rachel hurried to catch up with the leading pair, only to be grabbed by the sweater by Constance to prevent her from barrelling down the slope. Instead she pulled out a flashlight, sweeping the ground below with the beam.

She dropped it in surprise; that had been her. Lenny saw it too, and moved his own light to centre on what Rachel had seen. A series of gasps emanated from the operatives of Sector Z. They'd found their target, and it didn't look good.

Fanny was lying on her back at the bottom of the hill, mud splattered across her clothing and face. Her jumper and skirt were torn by brambles, and her red hair was tangled with a few scraps of branch. Blood was trickling from the back of her head, resting against the trunk of a tree, and staining the mud red. She wasn't moving.

"Oh my goodness," Rachel started to panic, trying to move down the ridge as carefully as her shuddering legs would allow. This was _her_ fault, regardless of what Ashley said, and she had to fix it. Her friend was seriously hurt, all because of her.

"She's still breathing at least," David was suddenly by her side, "Looks like a minor concussion and a gash to the head probably."

"How can you tell?" she demanded, kneeling down in the dirt and trying to hoist the unconscious girl up.

"I'm medical officer," he shrugged, picking Fanny up in his arms with some difficulty, "It's, uh, my job. Lenny, come give me a hand; we need to get her back to the ship." He was there in a second, carrying Fanny by the feet while David took the upper half. "Don't worry sir, uh, it's better than it looks."

Getting her up the verge proved to be a challenge, but ultimately they were able to get their charge to the S.U.B.U.R.B.A.N. There she was placed across a row of subway seats, and David immediately set to work bandaging her head. Rachel sat beside her the whole time, a forlorn expression etched onto her face.

* * *

 _Three years earlier_

The faint sound of sobbing echoed through the door. Two figures stood outside, waiting for the person within to open up. It wasn't happening.

"C'mon kid," the eldest of the pair sighed, "Rachel just needs to be left alone right now."

"But yer Supreme Leader," the cadet with him protested, "Can't ya order her t' open up or something?"

"It doesn't work like that," Chad Dickinson let out a long, deep sigh. "I'm sorry Fanny."

But Fanny wasn't about to give up that easily. She didn't need his help or permission. She waited until Chad had wandered away, dragging his feet, and slipped into the room.

Inside the cramped chamber sat a single bed, the sheets a crumpled mess. A child was curled up on the far end, her eyes red and puffy from crying. A small photo frame was clutched in her shaking hands, a frame which Fanny already knew the contents of.

"Rachel?" she asked softly, walking over to where her friend sat.

"Leave me alone," Rachel managed to choke out between sobs. But Fanny was in no hurry to turn back. Instead she scrambled up onto the bed, placing a reassuring arm across her friend's shoulders. Rachel reacted by shrugging it off, but Fanny was nothing if not persistent, and tried again to comfort her friend.

Rachel didn't resist that time, her crying dying down to a whisper. She took another look at the photo, one of her with Ashley and Harvey the day that she'd been allowed to follow in her older sister's footsteps and join in the Arctic Training Program. Nobody had told her that Ashley's whole sector would disappear a few weeks later.

"It's gonna be alright," Fanny said slowly, "They'll find yer sis someday."

* * *

Fanny stirred, her eyelids fluttering open. Where was she? This certainly wasn't the forest, but the white chipped paint on the ceiling and patterned blue fabric under her told her it wasn't a hospital either. It most resembled a… subway car?

A S.U.B.U.R.B.A.N dropship: she'd been found by the Kids Next Door. She was probably due for decommissioning after that little stunt, she thought dryly. She looked around, fully expecting to see a half-dozen Decom Squad operatives aiming at her.

Instead she saw Rachel sitting on the seat next to the one her head rested on. She nearly cried out in surprise, sitting up to quickly and sending a wave of sharp pain through her skull. She blinked back tears of pain, leaning against the back of the seat.

"Don't try to move it too fast," a voice she didn't recognise, the tall one from Sector Z, warned her. She just muttered a half-hearted thanks and looked away. Then someone placed a hand on her shoulder; she turned to see Rachel looking at her with regret in her eyes.

"Fanny," she said in a strained voice, "I'm sorry, y'know, for not noticing your contributions." Fanny blinked in surprise; this wasn't right. Rachel was apologising to her, when in reality she'd been the one whose feelings had gotten out of line.

"No," she said firmly, "It ain't yer fault. I was askin' fer too much, an' I let myself get carried away."

"Was it really that bad?" Rachel looked at her with nearly tearful eyes.

"Not at all," Fanny tried to reassure her. "It's my issue, not yours. It's just… complicated." She paused; she'd almost considered spilling the beans on _that_ little thought from before, the one reason she really despised Nigel Uno. But she couldn't say it, not now.

"We're friends, Fanny," Rachel pleaded, "I want to be there for you, like you were for me, but I can't if you won't tell me what's wrong."

She was referring to the aftermath of Ashley's disappearance, as both of them knew full well. Fulbright took a deep breath; it was now or never. She looked at the rest of Sector Z, all waiting with baited breath for her response.

"How would ya react," she swallowed, trying to quell the sudden butterflies in her stomach; this was it, "If I said I thought ya were the star of the KND?" Almost immediately she wanted to facepalm. That was just such a… cheesy way of saying it; it would never work.

She fidgeted nervously, turning redder each second Rachel remained silent. She'd finally come out and said it; she, Fanny Fulbright, had a crush of her own on Rachel McKenzie.

"Are you saying you… 'like' me?" Rachel said finally, her face frozen in disbelief. There was more silence.

"Y-yeah, I guess," Fanny rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. The rest of the operatives sat, stunned into keeping their mouths shut. "I know, I know, it's stupid," she continued, "And kinda weird, but yeah."

Before she could say anything else Rachel hugged her, dragging her close. She was too stunned to react as the blonde looked straight into her eyes and spoke.

"It's _not_ weird at all," she said with conviction, "Because if you're weird for liking girls, then I'm even stranger."

"You like…" Fanny trailed off, trying to comprehend what she'd just heard. This was far from what she'd expected to happen, and far better.

"Both," Rachel finished, breaking into a grin. "So I guess Nigel's got some competition, since I, maybe, kinda 'like' you too. I just never realised what was right in front of me."

"Aww," Ashley smiled, "Little sis got herself a girlfriend. Best recommission ever."

"So that's really why you hated Nigel then?" Rachel asked, sounding more relieved than anything else.

"It's why I hate boys in general," Fanny admitted, "Since they can do what I can't."

"Couldn't," her partner corrected. "As long as I'm Supreme Leader there isn't going to be any prejudice about that sort of thing in the KND. Only one question; why the exception for Numbuh 19th?"

"He was, I dunno, more _girly_ I guess," she shrugged. "It ain't quite the right word, but ya get the idea. With him I could almost pretend I _wasn't_ kissing a boy. But he was head-over-heels for me, an' I didn't really love _him_ , so decom was jus' the easy way out I guess."

"Well, we will have to bring him back," Rachel admitted, making Fanny look more than a little worried, "Since we're gonna have to update the rules to say it's based on your _physical_ age, and he's like eleven."

"Alright," Fanny looked at her feet, her mood souring slightly. It didn't last long though, because the next second Rachel planted a kiss on her cheek, prompting everyone else to burst out laughing at how flustered she became.

* * *

"Alright everybody!" Rachel announced, smiling at the entire assembled KND seated before her. "Today I would like to reintroduce not one, but eight of our ex-operatives to the KND.

"Now I know what many of you are thinking: 'how can somebody leave the Kids Next Door and then come back?' Well, I am sure many of you have heard rumours of teenagers who continue to work with us, and with the decimation of the Teen Ninjas following the destruction of Gihugeacarrier One I am glad to announce that these rumours are true.

"Those who serve this elite role may have had to do some pretty bad things in the past to keep their cover, so I would like you all to forget any transgressions these two made after 'betraying' our cause. Please give a warm welcome back to Numbuh 9 and Numbuh 274!"

Maurice and Chad joined her, the latter appearing notably nervous. The crowd cheered anyway, though there were whispers of dissent.

"I hereby assign Numbuh 274 to Global Command," Rachel continued, her eyes seeking out Abigail in the crowd, "Numbuh 9, however, is to return to Sector V!"

That got a cheer from the crowd. She was sure she could hear Numbuh 5 amongst them, cheering loudest of all.

"Before we get on to the rest," 362 resumed, "There is a change to the rules you need to be aware of. The Supreme Leader now has the official power to veto any decommissioning at their discretion, and, more importantly, the age of decommissioning is now based on your physical age, rather than actual.

"With that in mind, please welcome back Numbuh 19th Century, who is now assigned to Sector W, and finally, at long last, the members of Sector Z!"

The crowd erupted into one final cheer, the loudest of all, as 19th Century and the lost sector entered the stage. Rachel beamed with pride, smiling at the Irish girl who stood next to the podium, whose hand squeezed hers.


End file.
